Hot-air gas heater with radiant



Nov. 14, 1950 e. w. ZIMBELMAN HOT-AIR GAS HEATER WITH RADIANT Filed March 13, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 flea/ye 212666622022 5 $8M:

Patented Nov. 14, 1950 HOT-AIR :GAS HEATER WITH RADIANT -George William -Zimbelman, Signal Mountain,

Tenn, ass'ignor to 'Samuel'Stamping and Enameling Company, Chattanooga, Tenn., a corporation of Tennessee Application March'13, 1946, SeriaI'NO. 653,977

'2 Claims. 1 c.

This invention relates to gas heaters.

The invention is more particularly concerned with the back wall-of gasheaters before-which are positioned clay radiants.

Back walls for gas heaters haveusually been constructed of clay, although somehave been constructed of steel.

While the clay back walls heretofore used were satisfactory, they nevertheless offered some disadvantages, particularly in that they were highly heat absorbing and in time cracked as a result thereof. Furthermore, such clay back walls were easily broken under impact with the result that their efliciency'was more 'or -less impaired.

Steel back walls as heretofore constructed overoame'certain disadvantages of the clay back wall, particularly in that they were not easily broken.

Such steel back walls are, however, subject to warping and transmit a high percentage of heat to the rear thereof rather than providing for passage of the heat into a room to be heated.

A primary object of the present invention is.

the provision of a sheet steel'back wall which is ribbed to prevent Warping thereof.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a sheet steel back wall mounted within a casing or shell with provision for a circulation of cool air upwardly valong'the back wall.

A still further object of the-invention is the provision of a porcelain finished sheet steel back wall which is substantially lighter in weight, in some instances as much as 50 percent, far cheaper, economical and simple to manufacture and more durable than the clay back walls now in use.

With the above objects in view, together with others that may present themselves in the course of the following disclosure, reference will now be had to the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a cabinet gas burner showing the application of the invention thereto and with the radiants omitted.

Fig. 2 is a back elevational view with the lower portion broken away.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view on an enlarged scale as observed in the plane of line 33, Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view as observed in the plane of line 44, Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 on a larger -13 scale and showing one of the radiants in sectionand its'operative relation to the back wall.

-In the drawing-H designates the heater which includes a burner compartment l0 and a back wall supporting shell H.

In heaters of this character, a back wall is mounted in the shell forming a supportfor the clay radiants such as indicated at R in Fig. -5.

The improved back wall of the instant invention is a rectangular sheet steel plate '12 which, as indicated in Figs. 4 and 5, is disposed substantially intermediate the front and back of the shell but slopes slightly upwardly and forwardly. The plate I2 is constructed of relatively light gauge sheet steel and is provided with pressed ribs is having their convex surfaces disposed forwardly as shown. The plate is porcelain finished for providing greater heat radiation therefrom.

The plate [2 is preferably provided with side flanges l4 secured as at l5 to the sides It of'the shell I I.

An angular sheet steel strip I5 is preferably utilized to support the lower edge of the plate 12. A sheet steel strip I! is suitably secured to the upper edge of the plate and projects horizontally forward to the upper front wall I8 .of the shell H and which wall depends from a. top wall i8",

thereby sealing off .a. chamber in the shellto the rear and top of the plate.

The rear wall I9 of the shell is provided with a horizontal row of relatively large apertures '29 adjacent the lower edge thereof for admission of cool air into the shell to the rear of the plate 12. The upper front wall of the shell is provided with a row of apertures 2!, and the strip I1 is provided with a row of relatively small apertures 22 which are disposed substantially within the space defined between wall I 2 and the radiants R which abut the ribs as is more clearly indicated in Fig. 5.

As indicated in Figs. 4 and 5, cool air close to the floor will enter apertures 20 as is indicated by the arrow 0. This air will move upwardly rearwardly of and along the back of plate l2 thereby exerting a cooling action thereon which eliminates fire hazards.

This cool air will, however, absorb a high percentage of heat as it moves upwardly as indicated by the arrow w and the warmed air will travel horizontally through the apertures 2| into the room being heated. The hot air between the ribs as well as between plate l2 and the radiants R will pass upwardly and out through apertures 22 as indicated by the arrow h in Fig. 5.

With this improved construction the heated air will move horizontally close to the floor rather than being radiated toward the ceiling, which has been highly objectionable in prior forms of heaters.

The ribs I3 function to reinforce the plate 12 to prevent warping in use and they further provide a space between the plate and the radiant which is effectively ventilated by apertures 22. The improved back wall 12 is non-breakable, non-warpable, and is approximately only 50% of the weight of clay back walls heretofore used.

By mounting the improved back wall in a shell as disclosed it is prevented from becoming dangerously hot by means of the cooling air entering the apertures 20, and this air which absorbs heat from the plate moves horizontally with the heated air emerging from apertures 22 at the front of the plate and thence through the apertures 2| and into the room being heated.

While I have disclosed the invention in accordance with the single specific embodiment thereof, such is to be considered as illustrative only and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being defined in the sub-joined claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by U. S. Letters Patent is:

1. In a gas heater, a shell including a vertical rear wall, opposite vertical side walls, a top wall interconnecting the upper edges of the rear and side walls, a front wall depending from the front edge of the top wall, the lower edge of the front wall defining the upper edge of a front opening in the shell, and a horizontal wall disposed below the top wall and extending rearwardly from the front wall and terminating between same and p the rear wall, a sheet steel back wall mounted between the side walls and beneath the horizontal wall in spaced relation to the rear wall and providing with said shell walls a chamber, the back wall having spaced parallel ribs defining upright channels in the rear face of the back wall and providing supports for clay radiants set into the shell and also defining vertical air spaces between the back wall and the radiants, apertures in the rear wall adjacent the bottom thereof, apertures in the front wall above the horizontal wall, and

apertures in the horizontal wall above the air spaces between the back wall and the radiants, the apertures in the rear and front walls provid ing for theflow of cool air upwardly along the rear face of the back wall, and the apertures in the horizontal wall providing for the flow of air 4 upwardly between the back wall and radiants and which air becomes heated from contact with the wall and radiants and passes horizontally with the air admitted through the apertures in the rear wall, through the apertures in the front wall.

2. In a gas heater, a shell including a vertically disposed rear wall, vertically disposed side walls, a top wall, and a front wall depending from the top wall and terminating a short distance from the top of the shell, a sheet steel back wall disposed within the shell intermediate the rear and front walls and extending from one side wall to the other and having its lower edge substantially alined with the lower edges of the rear and side walls, the back wall being slightly inclined to the vertical in the direction of the front wall and having its upper edge horizontally spaced from the front wall adjacent the lower edge thereof, a sheet steel strip having one edge thereof secured to the upper edge of the back wall and extending horizontally therefrom with its opposite edge contacting the front wall, air admission apertures in the lower portion of the rear wall, air exit apertures in the front wall above said horizontal strip, said back wall being provided with spaced parallel ribs extending from the bottom to the top edges thereof, the ribs being pressed from the wall and providing channels in the rear face thereof and spaced supports at the front face thereof for supporting clay radiants in spaced relation to the wall, and apertures in the horizontal strip above the spaces between the supports.

GEORGE WILLIAM ZIMBELMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,540,528 Bennett June 2, 1925 1,611,983 Andrews Dec. 28, 1926 1,699,789 Hartfield Jan. 22, 1929 2,060,079 Hood Nov. 10, 1936 2,105,245 Hohl Jan. 11, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 454,328 Great Britain Sept. 29, 1930 502,945 Great Britain Mar. 28, 1939 

